On January 27, cartel gunmen opened fire on US Border Patrol agents near Fronton, Texas. Though no one was reported injured, the exchange underpins an increasingly fraught security outlook along the US-Mexico border.

The attack comes just as President Donald Trump has launched a crackdown on cartels and border security. The effort has involved the declaration of a national emergency, deploying 1,500 additional troops to the border, and expanding military cooperation with local law enforcement. In support of these efforts, Texas Governor Greg Abbott has reinforced state border security, sending over 400 additional troops and expanding barriers, including buoy installations along the Rio Grande. Meanwhile, Mexico has begun accepting deported migrants, including non-Mexicans, despite previously rejecting Trump’s ‘Remain in Mexico’ policy.

Trump’s nationwide immigration crackdown has also escalated, with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents conducting mass arrests in cities like Chicago, Denver, and Miami. Officials warn these actions risk provoking an unprecedented cartel response, and some reports have suggested that cartels are directly targeting US agents.